


gleaming in the light of fire

by AmandaBecker



Series: Christmas is coming [2]
Category: Sanditon (TV 2019), Sanditon - Jane Austen
Genre: F/M, Parker children
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-16
Updated: 2019-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-08 13:13:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21819064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmandaBecker/pseuds/AmandaBecker
Summary: ...gleaming in the light of fire, in sea of pillows and blankets Charlotte and Sidney have a sensational experience...
Relationships: Charlotte Heywood & Sidney Parker, Charlotte Heywood/Sidney Parker
Series: Christmas is coming [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1571278
Comments: 10
Kudos: 86





	gleaming in the light of fire

**Author's Note:**

> a little fluff in the 2nd story for the "12 days of Sanditon" challenge by sanditoncreative

Since Tom had travelled to London, it was Sidney's job to make the children bread over the fire in the fireplace. Mary was in a bad mood because Tom had lied to her and it was up to Charlotte to help the children, so that Mary could be a little alone with her thoughts. 

As the servant brought the tray of punch, Charlotte was reading a story to the children and Jenny and Henry were both sitting on her lap. Alicia was sitting next to her with her head on Charlotte's shoulder. Sidney, who was about to hand Mary her punch, forgot his task the moment his eyes fell on Charlotte and the children.

A loving smile lay on his face, as if he would look at his wife and children and not at his brother's annoying houseguest. Mary, caught in her own thoughts, reached for the glass as she noticed what had Sidney freeze.  
The first honest smile of the day reached her eyes and she was happy to have these two good souls with her.

Mary took the punch from him and smiled at her brother-in-law. She pointed to the place next to her on the sofa and Sidney sat down. His eyes were still on Charlotte. As she sat with the children in front of the fireplace, her cheeks glowed and her eyes reflected the glitter of the fire.

After a while Henry fell asleep and Mary took him to his room. Sidney used the opportunity to give Charlotte her still hot punch and when her eyes and fingers met, both of them tingling. Embarrassed, she looked away immediately, but he searched her face for the answer to the question he dared not to ask.

When Mary came back, he sat on the sofa and read the three young ladies in front of him another story. Alicia and Jenny had created a sea of pillows and blankets and were very busy covering Charlotte. She was still quite frozen form the activities earlier in the snow. The two girls had made it their business to take care of her.

But after the time came for Jenny and Alicia to go to sleep Mary left Charlotte and Sidney alone. When she looked after them again later, she found them deepened in a conversation, now both crouching cross-legged in front of the fireplace. Blankets around their shoulders, pillows on their laps and punch glass in their hands.

They didn't even notice that Mary had gone in and out again and that she had closed the door behind her. Mary knew it was a very special moment for them, maybe they could be more than they thought...

A few hours later Charlotte woke up in a tangle of colours and warmth. But didn't move as she slowly perceived her surroundings. How could that be?

She felt herself lying on a hard surface. It was neither a bed nor the sofa. It wasn't as hard as the floor either. She lay on.....something that rose and fell and smelled like Sidney Parker. And although that was shock enough, she also felt that he was stroking his hand through her hair. Absent-minded and half asleep she was sure.

Sidney played with her curls, turned them around his finger and dropped them again. He felt it chasing little shivers through her body, but he couldn't stop. How they got into this position was a mystery to him. 

They had just talked, sitting first, and then she had lay down on the children's pillow tower and looked up at him. Her curls were wild around her face, her big eyes looking up at him and her lips pulled to a soft smile. He couldn't help but imagine that he wanted this sight every day and night, but not always in front of the fireplace....

Supporting on his elbow, he had lain on his belly and told her animatedly about his travels to Antigua. And for the first time, he wanted to tell about his adventures and experiences, the country, the culture and the people, without thinking about the reason that brought him there.

Now he kept his eyes closed, played with her hair and felt her lying on his chest. She had clawed her tender little hand into his shirt, as if she didn’t want to let him go just as little as he wanted to let her go.

Now he slowly started driving down a path from her shoulder to her arm. His fingertips grazed her bare skin. A slight tremor accompanied his touch. His hand slid back into her hair and grabbed a little harder. Charlotte sucked in the air during the sensation, but didn't seem to wake up. She was probably like him in an intermediate state between sleeping and awakening.

Charlotte's body was in complete turmoil without her knowing exactly what was happening to her. With each scraping of his fingers on her skin she went through a shiver she couldn't control. Pressing her lips tightly together not to groan with delight, as the feeling was so...so overwhelming. Her breath faltered as he now shoved the other hand around her waist and somehow pulled her even closer to him. 

Her fingers seemed to have their own will, and before she knew what she was doing, she pushed her hand up and laid it on his neck. Scratching there until he hissed and moved slightly under her. Still, he didn't let go of her, but pressed her waist even firmer. The hand in her hair began the sensational journey again. Over her cheek, neck and shoulder. Until his warm hand remained lying on the naked skin of her upper arm. The magic of his colossal fingers on her skin almost made her moan again. This time she could only prevent it by pressing her face more into his chest. 

The heart rate accelerated immeasurably as Charlotte pressed harder to him, and at the same time put her fingers on his pulse point on his neck. She gently scratched her fingernails over his stubble on his chin and suddenly put her hand on his face. Tender and light as a feather, with trembling fingers she traced the lines of his face and he felt her warm breath on his skin as she followed her fingers with her gaze but still remained on his chest.

Sidney feverishly pondered what to do. Should he also open his eyes and risk that this spell was over when they both realized what they were doing? Should he continue to pretend to sleep, did she believe it at all? When her tender thumb was gently stroked over his lips and his throat, he couldn't think clearly anymore.

His hand, now lying in her hair again, reinforced the pull on her hair, at the same time he pushed her waist away from him. But instead of separating from her, he turned them both so that they were facing each other. 

Slowly he opened his eyes and saw that Charlotte had closed hers again. The lips slightly open, her cheeks blushing. She was gleaming in the light of fire. Both breaths went fast. Her hand had slipped slightly under his shirt opening as they moved and was now lying on his collarbone. He glided his hand onto her back and pressed her closer until she moaned slightly. With fingers in her hair, he adjusted her head and finally, he broke the distance so that their lips almost touched.

It wasn't a kiss, it was a brush of the lips, a test, a request for permission.  
And when Charlotte whimpered quietly and her hand dug over his neck into his hair, it was answer enough. 

And Sidney leaned closer.


End file.
